We have finally reached the Palace of Luminos the Mighty, but we still find ourselves at odds with the Cult of the Dragon. I’ve been dispatched with a group to stand guard at the Pulsating Gate alongside Pacatus, a mighty gold dragon who is rumored to be one of the original architects of the path I’ve recently found myself upon. His ability to cure wounds will be much appreciated by those of us of lesser strength than he. His fire breath is said to be capable of penetrating even the most hardened of armor but I am more amazed by his weakening breath, which can cause the stoutest warrior to wither in strength. Having a few feeble opponents to deal with will be a nice change from all of the action we’ve seen as of late.

I am amazed at the sight before me. It seems like we are finally close to our objective and standing here in the presence of the Chainspire is more awe inspiring than when I beheld the gigantic monolith of Luminos the Mighty. Vakka, the ancient silver dragon who has been the guardian of the Chainspire has welcomed us into the eye of the storm surrounding Tempest Isle and has agreed to join us on our quest. She opened a Dimension Door that allowed us to pass safely through the maelstrom and I cannot help but think her added might will serve us well. Few can stand against her chilling Cold Breath and her Paralyzing Breath will be a great asset in the coming battle.

Word has reached us that the Cult of the Dragon has made moves to secure assistance in penetrating the storms surrounding Tempest Isle and that several of our elven allies’ lives are to be the bargaining chip. Information gleaned from the recovered tome, A Recent History of the Moonshaes, points to the cult striking a bargain with Sycorax to gain entry onto the isle while they assist her in reclaiming the land she formerly ruled. We’ve all been advised on ways to avoid the Wicked Tongue of the harpy and will be steadfast in keeping from falling under her Captivating Song. If all goes well, our elven comrades will be back in our ranks shortly.

Though our quest has been relatively successful thus far and we have in our possession the keys needed to enter the gates of the Palace of Luminos the Mighty, my party has been unable to penetrate the powerful storms surrounding Tempest Isle. We’ve been sent to determine the whereabouts of Legunt, the “Royal Lorekeeper” of Claugiyliamatar, who was supposedly sent on an errand to secure information on how to penetrate the mighty tempest but has yet to return. While investigating, several witnesses have confirmed that Legunt was carried off by Blackthorn, a powerful wyvern known to terrorize the surrounding area. We are on our way to his cavernous abode and have been armed with much knowledge from the local villagers. Blackthorn is known to strike simultaneously with his razor sharp teeth and his long, serpentine tail. Woe to him who is pierced by his Stinger and exposed to its Deadly Venom.

We’ve been in the Nether Mountains for several weeks. Though we’ve been working close to the forces of the Cult of the Dragon, the excavation surrounding the large monolith has been relatively uneventful until this morning. Someone, somehow, has summoned Sarpiel, a movanic deva angel and he was not too happy to see so many evil creatures amongst those who might be corrupted by them. Now the uneasy truce has been shattered and the upper base camps are in immense turmoil. Though the glorious good angel was doing well holding his own thanks to his Holy Warhammer and Shield of Virtue, my comrades and I have leapt into service to help him dispense his Righteous Fury. We must continue to do everything we can to make sure the keys do not fall into the wrong hands.

After making our way through the deserted forest, my company has set up camp in a small clearing for a well-deserved rest. As we gathered around the campfire and shared stories of past adventures, I’ve felt compelled to write down a tale too outlandish to believe as told by one of my party. As we sat around partaking of our meal, he recounted to us “The Tale of Umberlis”:
“The legend begins with the introduction of Spite, a runty, black dragon who was bullied and forced out of the choicest of swamps. Eventually he took to the caves; consoled solely by “Inky”, a tattered, black cloak. There he stayed for several centuries. Alone. Unwanted. Slowly slipping into a seeming madness. Over time, he became a thing of shadow; dark and hidden. His Shadow Breath became a thing most frightening, able to inflict a Necrotic Oppression upon those which it fell.”

After adventuring with the elves and having my inkling confirmed, we have set off on a noble quest to help prevent the Cult of the Dragon from accomplishing their nefarious plans. Even as we near the Howling Chasm, I can see the Aaqa Elite Squadron riding the currents with seemingly effortless ease. We are to meet with Aaroqua, the aarakocra leader, in hopes that he will lend his battle prowess and forces to our just cause. If we are to succeed in locating the three keys, their help as well as their ability to Summon Air Elementals will be a boon. Having a skilled aerial troop by our side who has mastered the V Formation will give me great ease as we continue upon the road fate has placed us.

It has become apparent that something troubling is afoot. While our past adventures could be viewed as random happenstance, it’s become clear that there are forces in play that have set us upon this path. We now find ourselves aligned with the elves and are tasked with distracting the enemy force before us so that the Harper Legion Elves can safely deliver and d important message to Nymmestra. The Harper Legion Elves are one of the finest combat troops I’ve ever seen. Limnen, the elf leader, seems to inspire them in such a way that it seems their fighting prowess is never diminished in the face of an enemy onslaught. Their Elven Accuracy with bows is astounding and something no enemy wants to face.

After escaping relatively unscathed from our encounter with Balagos, my compatriots and I happened upon some information about a cache of treasures Eshaedra is moving through the nearby hills. We’ve set off disguised as ordinary highwaymen in hopes of catching the Zhentarim Warband escort by surprise. Members of the Zhentarim Warband are rumored to be well trained in close combat maneuvers and this particular party is supposed to be supported by Amog, a shaman leader. Constantly in Prayer, his divine spells greatly enhance the battle prowess of the entire company so hopefully a critical shot will find a way to dispatch him early in the engagement. Granted, the size of the warband is going to have a direct impact on our chances of success so I hope their numbers are not greater than we anticipated.

What was supposed to be a fun training exercise has turning into a full scale battle. We were quite honored to be invited by the dwarves to this function but had we known this was the exact time Balagos had planned to enact his revenge, we’d likely have politely declined. Now we find ourselves desperately trying to figure out how to man a dwarven training ballista and are failing horribly at repelling the assaulting horde. Luckily, any hopes the evil red dragonhad were quickly shattered as he beheld Calamity, a sturdy, prototype dwarven ballista sitting firm behind a row of training siege weapons. Her operators move like a Well Oiled Machine and their Dwarven Precision seems to be able to find the weak points of their opponent with every shot.